Rembrant Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I wonder if that's something we can source, to either add to a standard sheet of marine plywood (or other?) Hmmmm. Well, when I was shopping around for the marine plywood for my bed, I ended up talking to a local specialty wood shop that sells a lot of marine products, and they told me that they had two different types of marine plywood. One is the structural plywood, that they actually build boats with, like the hull, the deck, the cab, etc...and then there was a marine grade plywood for doing interior finish work, cabinets, etc. The only reason I bring that up is that the interior grade marine plywood was the product with all of the fancy veneers on it. The stuff I bought, is basically just smooth one side. I spent a couple years working in a plant that manufactured IKEA furniture, and part of their process was to add a layer of brown paper on the backside of all of the panels (panels were particle board) and it's only purpose was to prevent warping. The particle board went through a machine that applied adhesive, then it went into a press where the brown paper was applied. You wouldn't think that a layer that thin would add that much rigidity, but it did. Maybe Ford did something similar with the plywood, since it became three large pieces instead of narrow boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFlareside Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 I wonder if that's something we can source, to either add to a standard sheet of marine plywood (or other?) Hmmmm. Well, when I was shopping around for the marine plywood for my bed, I ended up talking to a local specialty wood shop that sells a lot of marine products, and they told me that they had two different types of marine plywood. One is the structural plywood, that they actually build boats with, like the hull, the deck, the cab, etc...and then there was a marine grade plywood for doing interior finish work, cabinets, etc. The only reason I bring that up is that the interior grade marine plywood was the product with all of the fancy veneers on it. The stuff I bought, is basically just smooth one side. I spent a couple years working in a plant that manufactured IKEA furniture, and part of their process was to add a layer of brown paper on the backside of all of the panels (panels were particle board) and it's only purpose was to prevent warping. The particle board went through a machine that applied adhesive, then it went into a press where the brown paper was applied. You wouldn't think that a layer that thin would add that much rigidity, but it did. Maybe Ford did something similar with the plywood, since it became three large pieces instead of narrow boards. On your truck, did you end up using the structural marine grade? Also do you mind posting another pic of your finished bed here for posterity? It's great looking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 OK I keep editing this reply, was looking up MDO vs MDF. It looks like MDO is readily available in 3/4 inch plywood and used for outdoor signage and other exterior use. Hmmm... It also comes in either single or double sided, so one could have the MDO outside facing downward and the wood OR MDO up on the bed floor. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plywood-versus-mdo-99007.html HDO is for reusable concrete forms. MDO is used for signage and exterior facades, where it needs to be impervious to weather, stay smooth and readily accept surface finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 OK I keep editing this reply, was looking up MDO vs MDF. It looks like MDO is readily available in 3/4 inch plywood and used for outdoor signage and other exterior use. Hmmm... It also comes in either single or double sided, so one could have the MDO outside facing downward and the wood OR MDO up on the bed floor. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plywood-versus-mdo-99007.html Well there you go. Interesting stuff. Maybe that is what was done. The original wood floor on mine was definitely plywood, but the bottom layer definitely had NO woodgrain appearance...it was a brownish color that looked like a phenolic or some other manufacturerd wood compound/product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 HDO is for reusable concrete forms. MDO is used for signage and exterior facades, where it needs to be impervious to weather, stay smooth and readily accept surface finish. You can get single or double sided MDO in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 or 1". (6, 10, 12, 16, 19 or 25mm) Usually it is on Fir core. While it doesn't conform to Lloyd's marine standards it is pretty solid in exterior use if* properly finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 On your truck, did you end up using the structural marine grade? Also do you mind posting another pic of your finished bed here for posterity? It's great looking... Mine is marine grade, but just the basic structural stuff in Douglas Fir. I got a lot of flack from my buddies for installing plywood by the way...lol, but by the time I got this part of my project, it was way WAY over budget, and I was just trying to get it finished so I could drive the darn thing. Spending another grand or more on a hardwood bed wasn't in the cards at the time, and just due to geography, I was going to have trouble dealing with the warranty of the boards, which I wanted to avoid. Besides, I wanted it to be sort of original, so when people question it, I can say that it was good enough for Ford, it's good enough for me...lol. This is where I test fitted the wood... Here it is back on the stands where I sanded and varnished it. And then back in the bed. I know it's not to everybody's taste, but I like it and it has grown on me more over time. I wanted a lighter color along with the body colored strips, so that is where I ended up. It's easy to change, so if I ever decide to change it out for hardwood later, I can do that. I have an extra painted strip in case I ever want to go with the board style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 On your truck, did you end up using the structural marine grade? Also do you mind posting another pic of your finished bed here for posterity? It's great looking... Mine is marine grade, but just the basic structural stuff in Douglas Fir. I got a lot of flack from my buddies for installing plywood by the way...lol, but by the time I got this part of my project, it was way WAY over budget, and I was just trying to get it finished so I could drive the darn thing. Spending another grand or more on a hardwood bed wasn't in the cards at the time, and just due to geography, I was going to have trouble dealing with the warranty of the boards, which I wanted to avoid. Besides, I wanted it to be sort of original, so when people question it, I can say that it was good enough for Ford, it's good enough for me...lol. This is where I test fitted the wood... Here it is back on the stands where I sanded and varnished it. And then back in the bed. I know it's not to everybody's taste, but I like it and it has grown on me more over time. I wanted a lighter color along with the body colored strips, so that is where I ended up. It's easy to change, so if I ever decide to change it out for hardwood later, I can do that. I have an extra painted strip in case I ever want to go with the board style. Absolutely beautiful truck, Cory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFlareside Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Absolutely beautiful truck, Cory! AGREED, Actually I like the plywood, finished the way that you did. It seems a bit faithful to the original and also a great contrast with the blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFlareside Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 AGREED, Actually I like the plywood, finished the way that you did. It seems a bit faithful to the original and also a great contrast with the blue So this thread explains a lot. The smooth TOP surface on my bed is actually the MDO peeling off in so many places... I was looking right at it but not seeing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 On your truck, did you end up using the structural marine grade? Also do you mind posting another pic of your finished bed here for posterity? It's great looking... Mine is marine grade, but just the basic structural stuff in Douglas Fir. I got a lot of flack from my buddies for installing plywood by the way...lol, but by the time I got this part of my project, it was way WAY over budget, and I was just trying to get it finished so I could drive the darn thing. Spending another grand or more on a hardwood bed wasn't in the cards at the time, and just due to geography, I was going to have trouble dealing with the warranty of the boards, which I wanted to avoid. Besides, I wanted it to be sort of original, so when people question it, I can say that it was good enough for Ford, it's good enough for me...lol. This is where I test fitted the wood... Here it is back on the stands where I sanded and varnished it. And then back in the bed. I know it's not to everybody's taste, but I like it and it has grown on me more over time. I wanted a lighter color along with the body colored strips, so that is where I ended up. It's easy to change, so if I ever decide to change it out for hardwood later, I can do that. I have an extra painted strip in case I ever want to go with the board style. Cory, I think the rotary cut Fir looks fantastic! There's nothing second rate about that at all. Mine is marine grade, but just the basic structural stuff in Douglas Fir. I got a lot of flack from my buddies for installing plywood by the way... When people question it, I can say that it was good enough for Ford, it's good enough for me...lol. http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n60552/IMG_7956.jpg Today, many of us (woodworkers) have vacuum bag presses. I specifically bought my 60 mil urethane bag in 5x9' so I could veneer regular size plywood sheets. While that leaves the plywood 'unbalanced', if you use a glue with no water (epoxy, solvent based neoprene contact cement) you can pull it off without curling. At 14.7 psi @ sea level that's 2,117 pounds per square foot of clamping force... 67,744 pounds on a 4x8 sheet and it's entirely evenly distributed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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